


A Leap Forward, A Step Back

by wallbanger2008



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012)
Genre: Apritello, Christmas Fluff, Drunk Sex, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, First Dates, First Time, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:15:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28262232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wallbanger2008/pseuds/wallbanger2008
Summary: Donnie and April get a little too drunk on Christmas Eve and wind up spending the night together. In the sober light of day they figure, eh, why not give this dating thing a shot?This is pure fluff all around because it’s Christmas. And at Christmas, I don’t torture Donnie.
Relationships: Donatello/April O'Neil (TMNT)
Comments: 62
Kudos: 78





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiya friends! Here’s a fluffy fic for Christmas (although it could probably take place at any time of the year, I just needed a party where these two dorks could get shitfaced). If they seem a little out of character in this first chapter... it’s because they drunk. 
> 
> A drunk Don is a bold Don. 
> 
> And also because they’re like 25 and 26 in this fic and I’d like to think they’ve matured a little. Gotten a little more comfortable with themselves. Donatello, I’m talking mostly to you.

It was 10:50pm on Christmas Eve and April was drunk. And why shouldn’t she be? After a craptastic week, she was more than a little ready to blow off some steam and enjoy a few days off. The fact it was Christmas Eve and Mikey had decided to throw a party in the lair was only facilitating her urge to drink her face off.

She’d been having such a good year too. Landing a solid job she actually liked. Finally moving into a place of her own—yes, it was tiny, but still! She was actually doing it. Pulling herself by her big girl pants and becoming a functioning adult. 

Everything had been going well, so she’d thought why not? Maybe it was time to try to find a guy. A real relationship. She was 26 for cripe’s sake and her love life up until now had consisted of a few dates here and there and a couple guys she’d never truly invested in because she’d been too busy balancing being an actual freaking ninja with either college or career. Oh, and also because she’d been strung out over some very confusing feelings for a certain mutant turtle. 

But Grown Ass April™ was killing it. And it was time she had a Grown Ass Relationship™. Enter Aaron. After a few awkward dates with guys she’d met on an app, she’d agreed to let her co-worker, Marie, set her up with her brother. 

Aaron had been great. Not perfect, but she’d really liked him. He was a cute, super into bad horror movies, and his nursing job meant plenty of night shifts—perfect for a girlfriend who still enjoys sprinting across rooftops at night and doing the whole secret vigilante thing with her best friends. April had adored him. 

Right up until he’d unceremoniously dumped her a week ago. 

His reason: I found someone else. He’d shrugged as he told her over coffee in some diner she now vowed never to step foot in again. I found someone else. As if the last six months—which she thought had been great, Grown Ass April™ was killing it, remember?—meant nothing. 

So it was Christmas Eve and she was drunk. Drunk and, for the first time all week, truly happy. How could she not be? Who cared about stupid Aaron? She had a family of amazing friends. Leo was adding another layer to the beeramid they’d been working on all night, and Casey and Mikey were drawing on a passed out Raph. It was Christmas, so they were playing relatively nice. No dicks at Christmas, according to Casey, so instead they were doing their best to make him over into some semblance of the Grinch. 

April giggled at them from where she perched side-saddle on Donnie’s lap. Lap sitting had always been a big no-no for them—too many implications for her and too much potential for anxiety boners for him—but they were both at least a six pack in, so the rules of lap sitting were clearly out the window for the night.

And it felt _nice_. It was nice to have Donnie’s hands casually slung around her waist. It was nice to be able to lean into the comfortable, familiar plains of his front. 

“You need to make the eyebrows pointier,” Donnie snickered beneath her, directing the two artists, and she could feel his voice rumbling through his plastron. “Raph’s gonna kill them both tomorrow,” he whispered conspiratorially to her and she laughed again, partially from the tickling sensation of his warm breath on her ear. 

By the time Raph was satisfactorily transformed, it was close to midnight and Mikey was clearly feeling rambunctious and cooped up. April wasn’t sure who suggested it, but suddenly there was a group consensus that they should go topside to go look at the lights. It was a good idea in theory—except for the fact it was blistering cold out. 

“I think I’ll pass guys,” she said and downed the remainder of her beer. 

“Come on, Red, we’re all going,” Casey pestered her, but she shook her head. Truthfully, it wasn’t just the cold she was worried about. She couldn’t walk a straight line right now if she tried and running around on rooftops sounded like a real bad plan. 

“I’ll stay back with ya,” Donnie offered. There was a small chorus of ooohs from the rest of the guys. “Yeah yeah, shuddup,” Donnie rolled his eyes, used to the teasing by now. 

“Thanks Don,” April said, then turned toward the rest. “Have fun! Be safe! Don’t fall off any roofs!” 

After receiving a few sarcastic ‘Yes, mother’s as the boys headed out, she shook her head as she turned to Donnie. “I’m all out. Want another?” she pointed to his beer and began walking toward the kitchen. 

“Yeah, sure,” he said, following her. 

He took a seat at the counter as she grabbed a bottle for each of them, then joined him. 

“Cheers,” he said, clinking her beer with his own. “To, uh… hmm, what haven’t we toasted to yet tonight?”

“To finally being happy again,” April smiled and they both drank, but Donnie frowned. 

“You say that like you’ve been unhappy for a while.” 

April shrugged. “It’s been a shitty week, what can I say?” Donnie knew about the break up, because of course he did. He was the first person she called after it happened. 

“You know what? You’re better off. Aaron’s clearly a grade-A moron,” Donnie proclaimed, holding his finger aloft as if he were making some brilliant point. 

April giggled. She’d held back on doing any ex-boyfriend bashing in front of her friends because she knew it was a little tasteless, but whatever. They were drinking and she knew it’d feel good to unload. 

“You’re right!” She nodded emphatically. “A total moron.”

“I mean, you’re smart a-and beautiful and if he doesn’t see that… he’s an idiot.” Donnie’s cheeks turned a little pink with the compliment. He’d gotten pretty good at keeping his feelings for her in check, and she usually appreciated it. Not because she didn’t want him to want her. Heck no. She just felt a little awkward about being put up on such a high pedestal. Tonight though, she was  _absolutely_ up for some ego-stroking “Princess April Is The Best” talk.

“Thank you!” she stressed. “Like, I’m a damn snack!”

“You are!” Donnie nodded sharply and took a drink. 

“And he’s just an average dude with a below average dick!” 

Donnie choked on his beer and April gave his shell a whack. “Jesus, April,” he wheezed. 

“What? Sorry, but it’s true,” she held her arms out in a Don’t Blame The Messenger pose. 

Donnie got himself back under control and scoffed. “And here I thought it wasn’t the size of the boat but the motion in the ocean.” He was joking, but his cheeks had gone from pink to scarlet and it was adorable. 

“Yeah, but you can’t make it to England in a rowboat,” April laughed into her beer and Donnie snorted alongside her. 

“And it wasn’t even that,” she rambled on. “He just… just didn’t _take_ _care_ of me, you know?” 

“Jerk,” Donnie squinted and shook his head. “Wait… whatta you mean?” 

“You _know_ ,” April gestured.

“I really don’t.” 

“The motion in the ocean wasn’t even that good.” 

“Ahh,” Donnie nodded sagely as if he had any idea what she was talking about. 

“And it’s not even that hard!” April continued, slapping her palm down on the counter. 

“Hmm, was that the problem?” Donnie chuckled and hiccuped and for a second April was thrown… Donnie didn’t often do dirty jokes. She kinda wished he would more often. She was a little surprised by how much she liked it.

She collected herself and took another drink. “No, I meant, like, it’s not that difficult. I mean. Donnie,” she grabbed him by the wrist. “You’re a man. If I showed you a diagram of lady parts you’d know where the clitoris is, right?”

Donnie looked alarmed for a second, but then he nodded before she saw the lightbulb turn on. “Waaaait, are you saying…?” 

“He was _so_ bad at finding it,” she said mournfully, shaking her head dramatically. “Ughhh Donnie I was just wasting my time.”

To her great amusement, Donnie was apparently drunk enough to be outraged on her behalf. “What do you mean he couldn’t find it!? It’s not that hard. It’s basic human anatomy! It’s right there, it doesn’t move around. I mean, not that I’ve ever… but I bet I could,” he stammered. 

There was a beat of silence and they both broke out in laughter. “Hah! I bet you _could_ , Don Juan,” April laughed and nudged her shoulder into his. She felt a warm sensation starting to grow in her tummy and her first instinct was to ignore it. This was just Donnie. They were just playing around. But still… all this talk… Fuck it. It was Christmas. Donnie was looking cute. She was drunk. She’d worry about the consequences tomorrow. She took a nervous drink from her bottle and sidled up closer to him. 

“It’s, uh, almost midnight. Almost Christmas,” she said. 

“Yep,” Donnie took another sip. 

“You know what else sucks about getting dumped right before Christmas?”

“Whazzat?” 

“No one to kiss me under the mistletoe.” She leaned on her elbows and pouted, knowing full well it was a dirty trick and simultaneously not caring at all. 

Donnie blinked at her, then gave her a sloppy grin. “Is that all? Well… we’ve kissed before… sorta. I’ll kiss ya.” He slung a heavy arm around her shoulders and leaned back, pulling April back into his lap. 

She giggled and slopped her beer on the table as she made herself comfortable on top of him. “Just one flaw in that plan,” she teased and pointed upward. “No mistletoe.”

“No kiss then,” Donnie sighed dramatically and made to shove her off his lap. April squealed and clamped her arms around his neck and felt a little thrill when he wrapped his solid arms a little tighter around her. 

She was suddenly hit with a wave of emotion. She’d been feeling awful all week. Awful and unwanted. And thanks to Donnie, she was now feeling the exact opposite. “Thanks Don,” she smiled.

He looked confused. “For what?” 

“For making me feel better. After Aaron… shit, it’s been such a hard couple days.” She paused. She would not cry. This was not a night for beer tears. Or any other tears. It was Christmas and goddamn it she was not going to spend it crying over him. 

Donnie gave her a little squeeze. “Well, like I said. He’s an idiot. He didn’t know how good he had it. If I…” he stopped and took a shaky breath. “If I were lucky enough to have a girl like you… I…” he drifted off, blushing at his little confession. 

“What… if you had a girl like me you’d what?” April said softly. 

“I’d never let you go. And I’d make you so happy. The happiest. A happy April is the best April.” 

“Aw, Donnie,” April cooed as she tipped her bottle back in an attempt to finish the last few mouthfuls. 

He grinned goofily at her, then looked around as if he were preparing to reveal a big secret before stage whispering. “And I’d know where your clitoris is.”

April sputtered and coughed, quickly putting down her now empty bottle and wiping away the beer on her chin. Holy shit, she’d not been expecting that. Still, she was not about to let this opportunity sail by. 

She turned and raised a brow at Donnie. “I bet you would,” she said with a growing smile, wrapping her arms back around his neck. 

Donnie leaned closer, smiling a little deviantly now. “And you wouldn’t have to worry about a rowboat.”

April bit her lip. This was somehow both the strangest and hottest conversation they’d ever had. Thank you, alcohol. She could feel heat beginning to pool between her legs and she squirmed a little on Donnie’s lap. “Is that so?”

Donnie shrugged faux-casually. “Just sayin’.”

Ok, if he wanted to play this game, she’d play. A small voice in the back of her head warned her it was probably a bad idea, but she promptly ignored it. There were more pressing matters at hand. Like how horny she was suddenly feeling. And the fact that Donnie—DONNIE!—was talking about his dick. 

She twirled one of his mask tails around a finger. “Soooo what are we talking about here?” she asked, matching his No-big-deal-we-sit-around-talking-about-my-dick-everyday energy. “Like a speed boat… or a yacht?” 

Donnie snorted. 

April smiled. “Or are we talkin’ full on luxury liner?”

Donnie ducked his head, his cheeks red once again. “I dunno. Guess you’d have to be the judge,” he muttered, his voice now tinged with nerves. 

“Guess I would,” she said slowly, weighing what she should do. Ohhh, she knew she’d probably be paying for it in the morning… but those consequences seemed so fucking far away right now. And it’d be so worth it. Maybe. Probably? Fuck it. 

She turned in his lap until she was straddling him. “So… I know there’s no mistletoe. But, uh,” she licked her lips and watched Donnie’s eyes dart down to watch. “Waddya say to that kiss?” 

He was still for a moment, his eyes darting back and forth between hers, but as soon as she saw his head nod even a fraction, she swooped in. 

Their mouths clashed together and Donnie let out a little “oomph!” of surprise before his mouth caught up to hers. April quickly realized he hadn’t had any opportunities to refine his style in the years since the last time they’d kissed, but she was happy to find he was a quick learner. He moved his lips across hers and groaned when she slid her tongue across his. 

They were quickly approaching the horizon between “a kiss” and “full on making out” and April was in no hurry to pump the breaks. Nor, apparently, was Donnie. April had to suppress a squeak when she felt his hands sliding down her back to cup her ass. All right, alcohol definitely makes Don a little bold. Check. Well, then, full speed ahead.

April pulled his lip gently between her teeth, then soothed it over with her tongue before kissing across his jaw and down his neck. 

“A-April,” he sighed, pressing his fingertips into the curve of her ass. “Fuuuck.” 

And damn, color her surprised, because who knew Donnie Dropping F-Bombs While He Feels Her Up was a highly-specific kink of hers just waiting to be explored. She licked and sucked her way back up to his lips, eager to get some more sounds out of him. 

“Ungahh…”

April and Donnie froze mid-kiss, their eyes flying open and then darting to the curtain that served as the kitchen door. 

“Raph must be waking up,” Donnie muttered. 

They held still, eyes on the curtain, listening to the uncoordinated sounds of Raphael stumbling toward his bedroom. When they heard his door slam shut, April pulled back and looked at Donnie. 

For a second she worried that Raph had managed to break whatever spell had come over them and Donnie would come to his senses, freak out, and sprint off to his room. When instead he grabbed her and pulled her in for another hungry kiss, she moaned in relief. She was absolutely not ready for this night to be over. As far as she was concerned, this would not be the Christmas she spent moping over some asshole, this would be the Christmas she and Donnie hooked up, consequences and hangovers be damned. 

She gasped as Donnie began planting kisses down her neck. This was the moment. Screw it. “Do you, uh, do you want to take this to your room?” she panted.

She felt the barest of pauses in between his kisses before she was forced to grab onto his shoulders as he stood up, taking her with him. _I’ll take that as a yes?_ she thought, wrapping her legs around him as he began walking them both out of the kitchen, still sucking on her neck. 

He carried her across the lair to the bedrooms and through his door, which he kicked shut behind him. They tumbled onto his bed and rolled until Donnie was on top of her. He stopped for a moment and looked down at her, and April had a fleeting thought about how Aaron had never looked at her like that—with reverence, but also pure, naked desire. But tonight wasn’t about Aaron, so she dismissed the thought and pulled Donnie down to her, wondering if he was able to see her own desire looking back at him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Nothing forces you to talk about your relationship like waking up naked together.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> April and Donnie wake up and sort through where their relationship stands. Hell of a way to spend a Christmas morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, we didn’t skip a chapter! I intentionally made Donnie and April’s first night together a ‘fade to black’ situation. Have patience, this fic is rated E for a reason and I promise we’ll get to it!

April awoke to the distant sound of Raph bellowing at Mikey. She groaned and turned over, keeping her eyes shut in hopes of going back to sleep. The beginning of what might be a hangover was starting to creep in, but she was hopeful she could sleep it off. 

A few seconds later, Raph finished haranguing Mikey and April sighed in relief, ready to enjoy some peace and quiet. Only, the room wasn’t quiet. Soft whistling snores were now filling the silence and April was forced to crack open an eye and look around. 

If the familiar posters and cluttered desk to the right of the bed weren’t sign enough of where she was, the bo staff leaning against the corner by the door cemented it: she was in Donnie’s bedroom. In Donnie’s bed. As carefully as she could, trying to avoid jostling the mattress, she slowly turned—and yep, there was Donnie, still asleep, mouth gaping open. 

Ok, ok. This didn’t have to be a big deal (although who was she kidding it already totally was). Maybe if she turned on the stealth, she could slip out and they could save any potential freaking out until they were both ready to talk about this later. Without sitting up, she inched toward the edge of the bed like an awkward snake until she was able to get her legs over it and her feet resting on the floor. 

She sat up slowly, untangled herself from the blankets and winced—both from the cold air hitting her naked skin and from the not altogether unpleasant ache between her legs. As she set about gathering her scattered clothes and dressing herself, she had a flashback from the night before. She was writhing under Donnie as he thrust above her, his face screwed up adorably in concentration. 

She blinked and cleared her head as she slipped her shirt back on. She didn’t know what Past April had been thinking. Actually, that was a lie. She knew exactly what Past April had been thinking. Take a ride on the Donnie train and pay the fare in the morning. 

At least it had been fun. Donnie had not been lying about the size of his boat. If anything, he’d _underplayed_ it. She shook her head as she thought back to the previous night and how she’d reacted when she’d first laid eyes on what, exactly, Donnie had been packing. Suffice it to say there had been some excited ‘holy shits’ on her part and some rather pleased with himself blushing on his.   


Besides all that, it had all turned out to be a lot better than she’d expected, given that it was his inaugural voyage and the fact they were shitfaced for it and all. Maybe the drinking had loosened some inhibitions, or maybe he’d just watched a lot of porn. Whatever the reason, she considered herself one satisfied customer.

She weighed her options as she sat down on the edge of the bed to tug on her socks. She could bolt, but that would be cowardly and hurtful and it’s not like she could run from him forever. Sticking around it was then. At least she had the advantage of being able to think this through first. Decide what exactly she wanted here. 

So what did she want? 

She looked over at Donnie and watched him snore. He looked so different without his mask. It truly was a bit like seeing him naked, and she felt a warm rush of emotions as she thought about how, drunk or not, he’d chosen to share that with her. She had a sudden urge to reach out and touch his face, or to run her fingers over the lines of his plastron. He really was beautiful, laying there all peaceful and quiet. It was nice to be able to look her fill without feeling like she was gawking. 

He stirred under her gaze and she held her breath as he groaned and slowly opened his eyes. He looked around him as if he were getting his bearings, then stopped as his eyes landed on her. “April…?” His voice was still thick with sleep. “What are you doing heeerre oh my GOD!” He shot up, his eyes growing wide in shock as he stared at her. “We… last night we… ohhhh shit.” 

April scrambled back onto the bed and clambered up until she was sitting next to him with her legs folded under her. Her own skin prickled as she felt his panic washing over her. “It’s ok!” she tried to reassure him, but the meltdown was already underway. 

“April, oh my god, that… that wasn’t how… I’m so sorry!” he rambled pressing a hand over his plastron. 

April bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. “Sorry about what? You have nothing to be sorry about. I’m not mad, D. Right now I’m more concerned about _you_. Are you ok?” 

Donnie took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He looked down at his knees as he spoke. “Yeeeah, I’m ok. I… huh. I just didn’t want you to think I’d taken advantage of you or anything like that. But if you say so…” He sounded unconvinced. 

April sighed. “Look, obviously we both got a little out of control last night…” Donnie huffed. “...but, I had a good time.” She put her hand on top of his. “Did you?” 

He looked at her and the longing in his eyes made her breath catch. “Yeah, of course I did. That was, I mean, heh, I’ve been wanting to do that for…” he drifted off and shook his head. “I had a great time,” he started again. “But if I’m being completely honest and, uh, I guess now’s the time if ever, it just wasn’t… how I thought it would be.”

April was taken aback. It wasn’t as though she’d blacked out, she remembered last night perfectly. And they’d had a good time. She certainly couldn’t recall Donnie complaining about anything they’d done together—in fact, he’d been pretty damn effusive in his praise for her and her body and everything she’d done to him. To hear that their time together didn’t meet, nay, _exceed_ his expectations was a blow. 

“What do you mean?” she asked nervously. 

Donnie said nothing for a moment, and her heart began to beat harder. Finally, he looked straight ahead and spoke. “I-I just thought, if we were ever going to, you know, that it would be… different. Not that it wasn’t great,” he added quickly, looking at her. “I just meant, well, I thought it would be after we, I don’t know, went on a date? Or something? I just didn’t think it’d be the _first_ thing we ever did together.” 

April nodded slowly. “You thought it would be more of a romance thing…?” 

“Yeah, instead of a-a one night stand sort of thing,” he said, his shoulders sagging. 

Is that what was wrong? He thought this was the only chance he’d ever have with her and he’d blown it on some drunk hook up? April felt a stab of regret go through her. She’d fucked up. 

It’s not that she had _no_ feelings for him. She did—and they were complicated, but she always thought there’d be time to figure them out. If she and Donnie were meant to be a thing, it would happen. Now it was happening and suddenly she was worried _she’d_ blown her chance before things even got started. 

No. No, this wouldn’t stand. She was April Freaking O’Neil and if she could become a kunoichi and travel through space and find an apartment she could afford in NYC, she could fix this. 

She scooted over until she was sitting close enough to brush shoulders with Donnie. “You know,” she said tentatively. “It doesn’t have to be like that.”

Donnie’s brow furrowed. “Uh, I think it might be a little late for that, April. I mean, we…” he gestured vaguely and sighed. “You know, the funny thing about this is that I’ve made, oh god, so many plans. In case you ever, uh, ever decided to give me a chance. The woo I would have pitched, it would have knocked your socks off O’Neil,” he gave her a crooked smile. “Turns out all I had to do was wait until we were both tanked.” 

April scoffed. “Ok, first of all, that’s a little harsh. Second, what I meant was… I’d be ok with it if you wanted to, you know, pitch a little woo.” She bumped his shoulder with hers. He raised a brow in return.

“Donnie,” she continued. “I know this was not the optimal first time experience. But. I would be ok if we were to take a few steps back… maybe try going on a date or something?” 

“Really? You’d want that?” He sounded wary, and she could sense the skepticism rolling off of him. “You’re not just saying it because…” 

“Because what?” 

“I don’t know, April. I… I just don’t want you to feel like you have to handle me with kid gloves or something. I'm a big boy, I can deal with it. You don’t have to agree to do something you wouldn’t ordinarily be interested in.”

April’s heart sank. She should have seen this coming. He was right to be skeptical. For years she’d kept him waiting—flirting at times, yes, but always careful not to cross any lines beyond friendship. And now after a single night of drunk sex she was asking for a date? She could barely explain it to herself. But somewhere, deep in her gut, she knew this was the right call. It was time to give Donnie a chance. 

She took a deep breath. “I realize it sounds weird, D. And my timing is, whew, not great. But I wouldn’t be suggesting this if I wasn’t interested. And I think you know me well enough to know that’s true.” 

Donnie nodded, but was silent for a moment before speaking. She could feel the skepticism ebbing away, slowly being replaced by hope. She smiled inwardly. 

“Let me get this straight,” he said quietly. “We take a step back. Give this a real try? And if it works out?” 

April smiled. “Then we might find ourselves back here.” 

He snorted. “And what, we just forget last night happened?” 

“If that’s what you want. Although… to be honest I think I’d have a pretty tough time forgetting.” 

To her immense pleasure, Donnie blushed faintly. “No, I don’t think I could either.”

“Maybe we just accept it happened, but we put it behind us and just… start fresh?” she suggested. 

“All right. Uh, in that case,” he cleared his throat and turned to look at her straight on. “Ha geez, even knowing you’re going to say yes doesn’t make this any less nerve-wracking. Ok. April. Do you want to go out with me tomorrow night?” 

She grinned. “Yeah, I’d love to. Oh, and hey—Merry Christmas, D.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Woo is pitched and Don and April go on their first real date.
> 
> Happy Holidays! 
> 
> 💜WB


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Donnie and April go on their first date and Donnie hits the damn thing outta the park.

April stood in front of her mirror examining herself. As far as first-date outfits go, she had a few standbys. A couple cute dresses and/or blouses and an established makeup and hair routine that required a little extra effort than her normal regimen. And all were good and fine for normal first date activities—which in her experience usually included dinner and maybe a movie or drinks afterward. 

But the first date she had lined up for tonight was different. It was with Donnie and that was putting a wrench in her usual first date prep routine.

Normally, she’d level up her makeup game. But Donnie was used to seeing her with little to no makeup. She liked that he thought she was beautiful with a clean face. Buuut she didn’t want to put in zero effort here, because what if he took one look at her makeup-free face and thought this was a pity date? She’d eventually settled on making herself up as if she were just going to work, with a little extra eye shadow. 

Same with her hair. Up or down? Or maybe half-up? Wearing her hair down was for special occasions and this most certainly fit the bill. But. There was a very good chance they’d be traveling to this date via rooftops, in which case her hair should definitely be up. She’d wound up going with a top knot—different from what Donnie was used to, but still practical. 

And that just left the clothes. She’d tried asking Donnie what he had in store for her, but he’d been steadfastly obtuse, making it difficult for her to plan. There was a good chance they’d be outside, and again, running and leaping across rooftops would probably factor into it, so her go-to dresses were axed. Pants it was. She’d shimmied into a pair of form-fitting black jeans and stood in front of her tiny closet, trying to decide on a shirt. 

Her usual go-to first date shirt hung there, but something was preventing her from taking it. She’s worn it out on a couple first dates before and it sounded stupid but she wanted something fresher for Don. Something that said _Hey, I Know We’re Friends But I Would Actually Like To Be More Than That, Oh And By The Way I Can’t Stop Thinking About How You Fucked Me The Other Night, More Of That Please_. Admittedly, it was a lot to put on a single shirt. She flipped through the hangers and paused on one, then grinned. Well, if this shirt didn’t make it clear that this was no pity date and she was seriously interested in getting back on the D-Train, she didn’t know what would. 

She’d barely put on her coat before she heard a tapping at her window and turned to see Donnie crouched out on her fire escape, waving. Her stomach did a little flip, and she realized she was a little nervous. Chill out, it’s just Donnie, she chastised herself as she went to let him in. Yeah, first date Donnie though. 

“Hey,” he said as he climbed through. “I, uh, I brought this for you.” He put a hand out and revealed a little torch plant in a pot shaped like a turtle. “For some reason I thought you might like it more than flowers.” 

April beamed. Ok, ten points to Gryffindor or whatever Donnie’s house was (who was she kidding, he was a total Ravenclaw). “I love it! This is so much better than flowers—it’s so cute!” She placed it carefully on her bedside table and admired it for a few seconds before turning back to him. “All right, what’s the plan?” 

He puffed up a little, seemingly pleased that she’d enjoyed his little gift. Grinning broadly, he said, “Ok, I’ve had this one place scoped out for a while. I think you’re going to really like it. Follow me?” He stepped toward the window, and she could sense a trail of nerves and hope swirling in his wake. 

“Lead the way,” April said, zipping her coat up further.

* * *

“Donnie… this. is. awesome.” 

April turned around on the spot, taking in her surroundings. After sprinting across roofs for ten minutes, he’d led her down to the ground, through a cellar door, down two flights of metal stairs, and through an unmarked door. It was pitch black inside and Donnie had guided her through the darkness, then told her to hold still while he turned on the power. Thirty seconds later, the room had exploded in light and color, followed by a cacophony of sounds as an arcade sprang to life around her. 

She was surrounded on all sides by vintage arcade games, pinball machines, and skee ball lanes. A bar ran the length of one side of the room and she could see Donnie had set out sodas and a variety of snacks. Ok, it was official. They were barely 15 minutes in and Donnie was nailing this thing. 

“Oh my god, when… how…? What is this place, D?” 

“You like it?” Donnie grinned as he watched her wandering through the space. “I found this place a couple months ago. It’s sort of a speakeasy, I’m guessing not too many people know about it. Anyway, it’s closed tonight, so we have the run of it.”

“Do your brothers know about this place?” April could see the other turtles flipping out over a place so perfect. 

“Nope. I’ve been sort of saving it for a special occasion,” Donnie smiled and handed her a soda. April felt a little flutter inside her. 

“Well in that case, care for a game of skee ball?” She set her drink down and undid her coat. 

“You’re on. Best two out of th-thr...” the word got caught on its way out of his mouth as he turned around and saw April without her coat on. 

The shirt she’d ended up picking was made of drapey black mesh—entirely see through. She usually wore it with a tank top underneath, but tonight she’d paired it with a black, lacy bralette and as of that moment she was mentally high-fiving herself for her choice. She could feel the lust practically exploding off of him. 

“That’s a nice… uh, I mean you look very nice,” Donnie finally recovered, pulling his eyes from her breasts. A memory of Donnie circling her nipples with his thumbs before pulling them into his mouth rolled through her mind and April wondered if he was thinking about something similar. 

She cleared her throat. “Two out of three sound good. Let’s do this.”

A couple hours later and April was calling it. Best first date ever. After realizing pretty quickly that skee ball didn’t exactly pose a challenge when they were used to throwing tessens and shurikens with precision accuracy, they’d moved on to the other games. They’d talked smack, laughed, and teased each other through most of the games in the arcade before finally settling down at the bar for some munchies. 

“I have to hand it to you, Donnie,” April said, nibbling a tortilla chip. “You killed this one. Don’t know how you’ll be able to top this.” 

Donnie’s face lit up. “Ah, so does that mean a second date is in order?” 

“Uh, definitely,” April grinned. 

“Sweet!” He punched the air and she laughed. “Just you wait, April, you’re gonna love what I have planned.”

She leaned on the bar, resting her cheek in her hand. “Ok, but if you’re planning our second date, that means I get to plan the third.” She wiggled her eyebrows at him. 

“What’s with the…?” He wiggled his brows back and his mask rose and fell.

April bit her lip and smiled. “Third date. You know. The big third date.” Donnie simply shrugged and she shook her head. “That’s, uh, often when things get a little _spicy_? Not that, you know, we would have to. But. I guess I’m just putting it out there.” 

“Oh! I guess I had heard that somewhere. Didn’t know it was really a thing,” Donnie said, looking mildly surprised. He paused for a moment, then leaned in a little. “You… you already know you’d want to do that? Again? With me?” 

April sat up and put her hand on top of his where it was resting on the bar. It was killing her that he thought the idea of her wanting to have sex with him again was so unlikely. “Yeah, D. I wouldn’t have suggested we try this out if that wasn’t going to be part of our relationship. I _enjoyed_ being with you. I want to do it again.” 

His eyes were wide as he stared at her. “Huh. Wow.”

“Buuuut I don’t want you thinking I’m only going out with you to get into your pants,” she added, trying to lighten the mood. Donnie looked down and chuckled. “So, if you want to wait longer than the third date, that’s fine with me,” she concluded. 

Donnie’s gaze fell to her hand on top of his, and he turned his hand over to grasp hers before looking back up. She watched his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed hard before speaking. “Heh, no, I-ah. I think I’ll be ready by then,” he said quietly. “I gotta say, April, and I hope you don’t smack me for saying it, it’s been really hard to not think about doing that. Again, with you. And uh, that shirt is not exaaactly helping.” He glanced down at her chest again, then back up, smiling sheepishly.

April wanted to mimic his triumphant air punch from a minute ago. But she restrained herself. “Oh, this ol’ thing?” she teased, leaning in toward him. 

He gave her a look that clearly said _I know what you’re doing._ “Yeah, it’s obviously such a rag.”

“A rag that you can’t stop looking at,” she joked, leaning closer and enjoying the pink flush creeping over Donnie’s cheeks. 

“It’s, uh, not the rag I can’t stop looking at,” he mumbled, unable to look her square in the eyes. 

“Hmm, well then I’d say this top has excelled in its purpose.”

“And what’s that?” 

“Maybe just to remind you of the other night,” she said coyly. 

Donnie snorted. “Trust me, I don’t need any help with that,” he said, his voice suddenly lower than normal.

Well ok then. April suddenly felt a little warm. She wondered how often Donnie had replayed their night together in his head. Was it as often as she had? “I’ve been thinking about it too,” she admitted. 

“Do you remember most of it?” 

“Donnie, I remember all of it.”

His brow creased and he looked away for a moment. “Is it… do you mind if I ask, was I any good? I know you said you enjoyed it, but I feel like I probably didn’t…” 

“No, D, it was good,” she cut him off, her own cheeks turning pink as she remembered the way he rocked into her, filling her up so perfectly and grinding against her at just the right angle. “You were good.”

“Oh. Well, that is good to… thanks.” A small smile played across his mouth and she was able to sense a swell of pride radiating off of him. He was too adorable and suddenly she had to fight the urge to telepathically slam him down on the bar and jump on top of him. 

Instead she drained her soda and pulled at his hand. “Join me in some PacMan?”

Donnie grinned and let himself be pulled up from his seat. “You’re on.”

* * *

An hour later they were back where they’d started—on the fire escape of April’s apartment. Donnie had insisted on running her home and now they lingered outside her window. 

“I had fun tonight, D,” April said, rocking back and forth on her heels. Her insides were bubbling over. There was no way she was going to let Donnie get away without a kiss, although a not-so-small part of her brain wouldn’t shut up about wanting more than just that. 

“Does that mean it was a good first date?” Donnie smiled hopefully down at her and she saw her opportunity.

“Almost perfect.” 

His expression clouded. “Almost?” She could see the wheels starting to spin in his head as he half-mumbled, “I got the plant, provided a fun and stimulating activity, supplied food and beverages… aha!” He snapped his fingers. “I should have let you win more, right? I was ungallant. Sorry about that. It’s just, you know, growing up with my brothers, competitiveness was…” 

“No, that’s not what’s missing,” April cut him off, placing a hand on his plastron. “It was a good first date. And good first dates end with a…?” She cocked her head to the side, inviting him to figure it out. 

He blinked, then drew in a sharp breath. “Oh! A… kiss?” 

April took a step closer and closed the gap between their bodies. “Do you want to?” she said, looking up.

Donnie nodded quickly, words evidently failing him at the moment. 

“Ok.” April wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her. She pressed herself against his front and sighed happily as she felt his arms wind around her, holding her tightly to him.

She closed her eyes as their lips met and allowed herself to sink into the kiss. She smiled against his mouth as Donnie let out a quiet moan and ran a hand up her back until he was cradling her head. 

Tugging gently on the tails of Donnie’s mask, she tilted her head and deepened the kiss, flicking her tongue into his mouth and tasting the sweet aftertaste of the soda and kettle corn he’d had at the arcade. 

There was something about kissing Donnie that was different from any other guy she’d kissed—not that there had been many, and it had nothing to do with the fact he was a giant turtle. Kissing Donnie felt like coming home and cozying up in front of the fire after a long day out in the rain. It was soothing and made her feel like she was exactly where she was supposed to be. And for someone who often felt like she didn’t belong, it was an intoxicating feeling. 

She inwardly groaned. It would be so easy to pull him with her through the window and then onto the nearby bed. She wondered if he’d stop her. The low key hum of arousal she was picking up from him wasn’t exactly helping things either. 

_ Slow, April. You promised to take things slow. _

She pulled away from his lips and nuzzled against his cheek, placing a kiss at the corner of his mouth. “Donnie,” she sighed. 

“Hmmm?” 

She kissed him one more time, then drew back. “We should… we should stop,” she panted. 

He let go of her slowly. “Everything ok?” 

“Yeah… I’m just. You know, getting a little hot under the collar here. Starting to have some thoughts that maybe fly in the face of taking things slow,” she chuckled awkwardly. 

Donnie raised his brows. “Really? Liiiike what?”

She rolled her eyes in self-deprecation. “Like how much fun it would be to throw you on my bed and straddle you? Too much?” she added as Donnie’s eyes shot open wide. 

“Uh, uh, no, not too much at all, heh. Kinda… really freaking hot to hear, that’s all,” he wheezed as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck. 

“Yeah. But, we’re going slow, right? Starting fresh.” _You know, pretending like we don’t already know exactly what it feels like to have your dick inside me?_

“Right, yeah,” he nodded frantically. “Totally for the best.”

“Right,” April echoed. “So, I guess that ends the night. I gotta say, D, ten out of ten.”

He let out a chuckle. “On the date or the kiss?” 

“All of the above.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: A little breather moment in between the first and second date. Donnie’s turning out to be a pretty good boyfriend. Almost like he’s been planning all this for years.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a short chapter, a little interlude between the first and second date. Just another opportunity for some fluff!

It was the day after her first date with Donnie and April was back at work, forcing herself to focus on the mind-numbing task of filling out her quarterly expense report. Definitely not one of her favorite parts of the job, and she was struggling to keep her mind on the spreadsheet in front of her and not on memories of kissing a certain mutant turtle. 

But really, who could blame her? She smiled to herself as she typed figures into an empty cell. She could still remember how good it felt to be wrapped up in Donnie’s arms, feeling his heart beating rapidly in his chest. 

And that kiss… Who would have thought somebody who came across so reserved and anxious could kiss like that? They’d barely kissed for longer than a minute and she’d been about ready to climb him like a tree. Like, _damn_. 

April blew out a long breath and shook her head. Focus. Expense report. 

She jumped a little when her office phone suddenly rang, and she scooped it up, grateful for the interruption. 

“This is April,” she said pleasantly, eyeing the caller ID. It was the front desk. 

“Hi April,” came the friendly-sounding voice of the receptionist. “You just got a delivery. It’s up here on the desk when you’re ready to pick it up.” 

“Ok, thanks.” 

She set the phone down and stood up. Perfect, a distraction. She walked through the bullpen, wondering what might be waiting for her. She didn’t often get deliveries at work—in fact in the ten months she’d been working there she’d only received one or two. 

Her breath hitched as she rounded the corner to the front desk and caught sight of an enormous bouquet of yellow flowers—asiatic lilies, gerbera daisies, and roses—with a small card nestled among the blooms. 

The receptionist perked up at the sight of her. “April! These came for you.” She pushed the arrangement forward an inch. “Such a happy-looking arrangement,” she smiled fondly. 

April laughed under her breath. “Yeah, it sure is.” She carefully gathered up the bouquet and walked it back to her desk, drawing stares from co-workers. Once she was safely inside her cubicle, she plucked the card from the bouquet and flicked it open.

_ April, I can’t stop thinking about you. Even more than usual. Looking forward to our next date. -D _

April beamed at the card and set it back in its place in the arrangement. She grabbed her phone and was about to text Donnie when she heard someone calling her name. 

“April! Oh my god, are those from Aaron? Did you guys get back together?” It was Marie, Aaron’s sister. 

The morning after the grand dumping, Marie had swung by April’s cubicle and offered an awkward apology. April had gotten the sense she felt a little responsible, having been the one to set them up. 

“Uh, no. We’re not… they’re not from him,” April said quietly, not entirely comfortable with where this line of questioning might go. 

“Oh,” Marie sounded a little crestfallen. “A new guy then?” 

“Sort of,” April shrugged and sat down. “An old friend, really.” She turned toward her laptop and hoped Marie would take the hint. She really didn’t feel like discussing her personal life with Aaron’s sister of all people, plus she was realizing that if she was going to be with Donnie, she’d need to figure out if or how she could talk about her boyfriend with other people. _Yeah, I’m dating a mutated turtle. He lives with his brothers in the sewer. I know, I know, not great on paper, but you wouldn’t believe how good of a kisser he is_. Yeah, she’d need to work on that. 

“Friends don’t send bouquets like that.” She could hear the frown in Marie’s voice. 

“He’s a really good friend,” April muttered. “Sorry, Marie, I really have to work on this.” She jerked her head toward her screen. 

“Ok, right, sorry.” Marie gave her a tight smile and walked away. 

April waited until she was sure Marie had gone, then whipped out her phone and shot off a text to Donnie. 

_ April: Thank you for the flowers. They’re beautiful xoxo _

Donnie replied almost instantly.

_ Donnie: You’re welcome! I know you said you liked the little potted plant, but there’s just something about pretty yellow things that I have a hard time resisting :)  _

April smiled to herself. That was some smooth Donatello. She wondered how long he’d been working on that line. 

_ April: They certainly brighten up my desk. I think I’ll keep them here at work to make me think of you  _

_ Donnie: Good. Because I can’t stop thinking of you  _

_ April: That makes two of us  _

_ Donnie: I keep thinking about kissing you _

_ April: ditto <3 _

There was a pause, and April watched the flashing dots and waited for Donnie to respond. He was either typing a novel or wasn’t sure how to word what he wanted to say—and with him, either case was likely. She looked up over her cubicle wall, toward her boss’ office. The door was closed, so he was probably on a call or in a meeting.

_Donnie: So, as the resident dating expert, what’s standard for date #2?_

She nearly scoffed out loud. Dating expert? Hardly. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, please see exhibit A, April O’Neil’s almost nonexistent love life up until the past year. 

_April: Dating expert?_

_Donnie: Sorry! I didn’t mean you date around a lot_

_Donnie: Not that there’d be anything wrong with that if you did_

_Donnie: Just… compared to me. You know what’s normal. Expected_

April sighed. She wanted to reach through her phone, pat Donnie on the shoulder and tell him he was being ridiculous. 

_April: Come on, you know I don’t care about what’s “normal”_

_Donnie: Ok, that’s fine, but what’s “normal” for a second date?_

_Donnie: For example, if a kiss is standard for a good first date, BLANK would be standard for a good second date_

April bit her lip to keep from laughing. Here she’d thought Donnie was pulling a typical Donatello move—overthinking what he had to do during a second date. But surprise surprise, it seemed he was more interested in what base they might get to. Fine then, if that’s what he wanted to discuss… 

_April: It’s sort of up in the air, I guess. Another kiss. Maybe more ;*_

_Donnie: More? As in what exactly? Feel free to be specific. Accuracy is important, after all._

_April: Hamato Donatello! Are you trying to get me to blush at work? ;)_

_Donnie: Maybe_

_Donnie: All right, I’ll let you get back to work. Are we still on for tomorrow night?_

_April: Absolutely! Are you going to tell me where we’re going?_

_Donnie: I’d rather surprise you. I will warn you that the heating isn’t great where we’re going, so dress warm._

_April: No mesh shirt this time?_

She grinned, hoping he would take the bait. 

_Donnie: Probably not a good idea. As much as I loved that top on you_

_April: I could tell… I kept catching you staring at it_

_Donnie: Can you blame me? You do know your bra was on full display… not that I’m complaining!_

_April: It’s called a bralette and it’s meant to be seen  
_

_Donnie: Ah! The more you know! Well, whatever it was called, it was very pretty_

_Donnie: I may or may not have thought about it for the rest of the night_

April felt her heart rate quicken. The idea of Donnie alone in his lab or his bedroom, thinking about her that way, maybe touching himself—it sent a jolt through her that landed in the pit of her stomach. She quickly glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was around before she continued texting. 

_April: Were you only thinking about my bralette? Nothing else? ;)_

She watched the little dots appear and reappear for a moment before Donnie’s response came through. 

_Donnie: I may have also been thinking about what was contained within said bralette_

She couldn’t help herself. Her expense report could wait—teasing and flirting with Donnie was just too much fun. 

_April: Which would be…?_

_Donnie: Really?_

_April: I want to hear it from you. Read it from you. Whatever. I want you to say it_

_Donnie: Your breasts_

_Donnie: God they’re exquisite_

_Donnie: Ugh that sounded like such a line_

_Donnie: But it’s true. They’re amazing. It was kind of hard not to think about Christmas Eve while we were on our date_

Holy hell. Well, good to know she wasn’t the only one riding the struggle bus during their date. 

_April: Awww, thanks D!_

She was considering what to type next when a sound across the office made her look up. She craned her neck and noticed her boss’ office door was now open, meaning he could theoretically pop up at any time. The idea of him coming across her all blushy and flustered from texting with her boyfriend made her want to crawl under her desk.

_April: Sorry, I have to go. Work calls. Thanks again for the flowers though. I can’t wait until tomorrow night._

_Donnie: I’ll see you then!_

_Donnie: :)_

April put her phone down and glanced back at the flowers. Aaron had given her flowers once—a small bouquet of red carnations he’d bought at a drug store on his way to see her. Obviously it was the thought that counted and there was no way Aaron could have known she didn’t particularly like red flowers, but she couldn’t help comparing the two and wondering why exactly she’d waited so long to give Donnie a try. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys. You know Don’s got a Dating April flow chart he’s been regularly updating since he was 16. 
> 
> Next Chapter: The second date, in which Donnie proves he’s been paying attention. And may or may not have a detailed file somewhere on April’s likes and dislikes.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Donnie continues to demonstrate why he’s probably the best bf in the world... until their second date experiences a small interruption.

April shivered as she ran alongside Donnie over the rooftops. The night was freezing and she was hopeful wherever they were going would offer respite from the chill. She thought back to when they’d talked the other day. Donnie had said the heating was bad where they were going, which made her think it had to be inside. 

There was also the fact that Donnie wasn’t an idiot: He’d know it was too cold to spend too much time outside. For both of them, really. She glanced over at him, wondering if the cold night air was affecting him any worse than it was her. He seemed fine, but she figured if they were to stop moving there might be problems. 

They made their way north for another couple of minutes and April realized they were now in the theater district. She looked down at the bright lights and marquees and the people below them. It was relatively early in the night and people were making their way into the various theaters for the 7:00 shows. No one seemed to notice a young woman and a giant turtle running along the rooftops above them. 

Less than a minute later, Donnie skidded to a halt on a large roof. April could tell without looking down that it was one of the theaters, but she wasn’t sure which one. 

“Donnie?” she asked, curiosity beginning to get the better of her. “Where are we going?”

He turned and reached for her hand. “We’re already here.”

He led her to the side of the roof and peered over the edge. “Give me just a second,” he said before he lowered himself down until he was hanging onto the edge by one hand. He used the other hand to pry open a nearby window, then pulled himself back up. 

“Ok, I’m going to swing you down and into the window there,” he explained, reaching for her again. 

Ten years ago, April would have balked at the idea, but now it seemed like child’s play. She was even tempted to let out a little whoop of joy as Donnie swung her down and in, but the Leo in her head reminded her to be quiet. 

It took her a moment to get her bearing once she was inside. It was fairly dark, but she could see the glow of lights a short distance away. Their light was just enough to see by, and she was able to observe she was in a narrow space, surrounded by various ropes on pulley systems, ladders and scaffolding, and large storage boxes. Donnie had been right, it was a little chilly up here. She stepped to the side as Donnie came in through the window. 

“Where are we?” She intuitively dropped her voice to a whisper.

Donnie just smiled, took her hand, and led her down the narrow walkway, bringing them closer to the light source without leaving the darkness. Finally, he pulled her up to the nearby railing and pointed down. 

Excitement ran up her spine as she realized where Donnie had taken her. There, about 40 feet down, was a fully lit stage with a curtain drawn. On one side of the curtain, people were streaming into the theater, busy with finding their seats and taking off their coats. On the other, performers and stage crew moved silently about, performing last minute checks. No one looked up, and if they did, April knew she and Donnie were too recessed to be seen. 

She turned toward him, her mouth agape. “D, are you actually kidding me right now? How…? Are we… is it safe to be up here?” 

Donnie grinned. “We’re safe. No one comes up here during the show. I believe this space is mostly used for storage.” He looked down, watching the activity on either side of the curtain. “Breaking into a Broadway theater has always been on my bucket list of topside things to try, I just never got around to it until now. Impressed?” He beamed at her. 

“Very,” April nodded, joining him in people watching. “So what show are we seeing?” 

“Hmm, see if you can figure it out,” Donnie nodded toward the stage. April looked closer and noted it was definitely Christmas-themed, with a large prop tree on one side and a fireplace complete with stockings hung on the other. She looked down into the wings and found several prop gift boxes on wheels, each large enough to hold an adult-sized human. 

She snapped her fingers. “It’s The Nutcracker! Is this The Nutcracker?” 

Donnie nodded. “Have you ever seen it?”

“No, but I’ve always wanted to,” April sighed and leaned into him. “I loved the story when I was a kid. I even had a little nutcracker of my own that my dad gave me for Christmas. He still puts it out every year. This is awesome, D. Thanks.” She stretched up and kissed his cheek. 

“You’re welcome, April. And I may have cheated a little. You told me how much you liked The Nutcracker back when we were kids. You even showed me your nutcracker when my brothers and I came over to your apartment around Christmas.” 

April thought back. She had a vague memory of what he was talking about, but that must have been years ago. “God, that must have been eight or nine years ago. You remembered that?” 

Donnie shrugged. “I’ve got a good memory. And I may have added a note to my April Index that day,” he joked, making air quotes. “Likes nutcrackers.”

April narrowed her eyes, then laughed as she realized Donnie probably had a literal April Index on his computer. She made a mental note to either one day ask to see it or try to find it behind his back. She’d be very interested to see those notes. 

The lights in the theater flashed, signaling the show was about to start. A thought occurred to April and she turned to Donnie. “Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask you what your brothers think of this. Of us. Dating.”

Donnie looked down and chuckled softly. “I got a string of ‘I told you so’s’ and ‘it’s about time’s.’ Mikey even had a song and dance to go with his.” 

“Well, I’m glad they’re on board with it.” 

Donnie gave her a look. “Did you ever doubt they would be?” 

April smiled and directed her gaze back at the stage as the lights went down and the orchestra struck up the overture.

* * *

The trip back across the rooftops was slower and April didn’t say much, she was too busy replaying bits of the show in her head and thinking about how Donnie was now two for two on dates that exceeded expectations. 

She supposed it made sense in the same way it made sense that most bands’ first albums are better than their second or third—they’d had their entire careers up to that point to come up with the material. And Donnie had had a decade to come up with date ideas. It also helped that he was very comfortable with the casual breaking and entering needed to facilitate these dates.

And speaking of dates, April had staked a claim on planning the third. She felt a small twinge of anxiety—there was no way she was going to come up with something as good as what Donnie had been bringing to the table. But then she remembered something, the ace up her sleeve. If she hadn’t been sure before, she was sure as shit now that their third date would be a big one. _The_ big one. 

She grinned inwardly. Yeah, it didn’t have to be anything impressive. In fact, they probably shouldn’t stray too far from her apartment if things were going to go as she planned. 

She allowed herself to get lost in the thought of how exactly their third date might go, barely registering where they were until they were back on her fire escape. 

“So… here we are again,” Donnie said a little awkwardly, then frowned. “You’ve been quiet. Is everything ok?” 

_Yup, just daydreaming about what it might be like to ride you until you lose control._ “Yeah, absolutely,” is what she actually said. “Just thinking about the ballet. Thank you again. That was amazing.” 

“You’re welcome. I’m glad you liked it.” He rocked on his heels a little and April wondered if he was still feeling a little nervous about being the one to initiate anything. They’d have to work on that, but not tonight. 

Tonight, she simply grabbed him by the top lip of his plastron and pulled him down to her. She purposely kept their kiss brief, pulling away before long with a little nip to Donnie’s lower lip. 

“Do you want to come inside?” she asked, one hand already on her window. 

Donnie nodded, his words taking a second to catch up with him. “Yeah, yeah.”

They pulled themselves through the window and April made short work of taking her coat off and tossing it over a nearby chair. The convenience of living in a one room apartment. 

“So, uh, what did you, uh, want to do?” Donnie stood awkwardly in the middle of her room, holding his hands behind his back. Part of her wanted to laugh—they’d already had sex, for Pete’s sake, no need to be coy. 

Instead, she closed the distance between them and pulled him back down for another kiss. He hummed happily into her mouth and let her push him gently backward until he was forced to sit on her bed. She climbed into his lap and straddled him, thinking back to the last time they’d sat like this and where they’d wound up then. 

She moaned lightly as Donnie’s tongue swept past hers. Truth be told, she was pretty ready for a repeat performance of Christmas Eve, and she couldn’t decide if being back in Donnie’s lap was more of a tease to him or herself. The whole reason they were doing this dating thing was to help ease him into the idea of the two of them being intimate, so she didn’t want to push him—but like, damn, feeling his arms wrapped around her, one hand on her back, the other cupping her ass, was not exactly making her want to wait. 

She wiggled closer and rolled her hips. “Donnie,” she sighed.

“Mmm?” 

She smiled against his mouth as she felt his fingers squeezing her ass. “Do you want to touch me?” 

He began kissing along the underside of her jaw, making her shiver. “I thought I _was_ touching you,” he mumbled against her skin, and April couldn’t decide if he was genuinely confused or if he’d just suddenly gotten really good at sexy banter. 

“No, I mean, touch me here,” she breathed, tugging at his arm until she was able to grab his hand and press it to her chest. 

Donnie gave a shuddering groan and flexed his fingers, squeezing her breast and swiping a thumb over her hardening nipple. 

“Oh god,” he murmured in between their kisses. “I’ve been thinking about your breasts ever since… so soft…” 

April hummed in agreement. “Your hands feel… can I… is it ok if I take this off?” She leaned back slightly and played with the hem of her shirt as if she were afraid a sudden movement might scare him off. It was silly really, she knew from first hand, extremely hands on experience that Donnie was a big fan of her tits and he’d all but said he was longing to see and touch them again. Still. Slowly, slowly. 

Donnie let out a long breath and nodded and April mentally cheered as she quickly shucked off her sweater, along with her bra. She watched as something akin to hunger crossed Donnie’s face as he stared at her chest and felt a renewed surge in the lust that was roiling off of him. It was heady, and it took her a second to find her way back to earth. “Go ahead, D,” she said softly, arching her back slightly to stick out her chest. 

A little groan of longing escaped his mouth as he cupped her breasts. His hands felt warm, supple and tough—a bit like broken-in leather—and April pushed her breasts into them. He ran his fingertips over the outside of each curved mound, then pressed them together and up before letting them bounce back to their natural position.

“God, April… they’re so… you’re so… mmmph,” he drifted off as he bent down and began planting hot, wet kisses over each breast while running a finger in tight circles over her nipples. 

April wiggled in his lap, trying to get a fucking grip before she did something embarrassing like pushing him backward and dry humping him until she achieved relief from the building friction in her jeans. “Fuuuck, Donnie,” she moaned as he took a nipple in his mouth and sucked. 

Looking back, she would always wonder if they would have been able to stop. They’d sort of agreed on three dates, but the second his mouth was on her breast, she’d assumed he would have to be the one to stop them, because it sure wasn’t going to be her. 

She wasn’t counting on Leo being the one to pump the breaks for them.

Donnie had moved over to her other nipple when his phone went off. He’d ignored it, which she’d appreciated, but then it rang again. And again. 

He released her boob with an audible ‘pop’ and grunted angrily. “Are you freaking kidding me,” he muttered darkly as he fished his still-ringing phone out. April could see Leo’s contact info on the screen. 

“Sorry, April. I think I better take this,” Donnie sighed, but made no attempt to move her from his lap. 

She nodded. Repeated calls from Leo were usually no joke. 

Donnie pressed his screen and held the phone up to his ear slit. “Leo… this really isn’t a good time.”

“Donnie, I wouldn’t call you tonight if we didn’t absolutely need you, but. Well. There’s a situation.” April leaned in toward the phone. She could hear Leo’s voice. He sounded like he was running and she could hear faint sounds in the background that sounded like a fight was going on. 

“We were on patrol and we sort of stumbled into something. Something big and you need to get here now.”

Donnie frowned. “Are you sure? Because I’m with Ap—“

“Get here NOW, Donnie!” she now heard Raph bellowing in the background. What the hell had they gotten into? 

“I know, bring her too. We can use the back up.” It was Leo again. “I’ll text you our location.”

“Ok, fine, we’ll be there,” Donnie sighed as he hung up. He looked up at her with an apologetic face. “April, I’m sorry I—“

“I heard,” she nodded and slid out of his lap. “We can continue this later. Let’s go help your brothers.” She bent down to gather up her bra and top. As she straightened back up, Donnie grabbed her and gave her a quick kiss. 

“We will. Continue this, I mean.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cockblocking: A seldomly discussed negative side effect of being a ninja. 
> 
> Next Chapter: Donnie and April finish their date. ...Yeah this whole ‘let’s wait til the third date’ thing is really not gonna work out for them.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our love birds get back to their date and the clothes and elbow pads go a-flying.

Leo had been right to call. The boys had managed to stumble upon a large criminal nest consisting of too many gang members who were suspiciously well-trained in martial arts. 

After April and Donnie arrived, they’d been able to fight their way out of it, but not before getting a good look at what appeared to be a highly-complex, highly-lucrative, and highly-illegal smuggling operation. They’d spent their run away from the site listening to Leo and Raph bickering over how long this could have been operating without their knowledge. 

By the time the team had regrouped on a rooftop ten blocks away, one thing was certain: they weren’t going to get any answers that night. They’d decided to call it a night and reconvene on the matter later. April had turned to Donnie, thinking he would be following his brothers home, but she was pleasantly surprised when he told them he’d see them later and offered to escort her home.

They didn’t say much as they made their way back to her apartment and down her fire escape. April rolled her neck as she climbed in her window. She turned to watch Donnie follow her in, then close the window behind him. He looked tired and it was easy to sympathize with him. Tonight had clearly been the beginning of something larger and both of them knew all too well how drawn out and exhausting a feud could be. And things had been going so well for her too… almost like her life was sort of normal. 

She shrugged out of her coat and sighed. She felt grimy and sweaty—a shower was clearly in order. The sound of bed springs behind her alerted her to the fact that Donnie had just sat down on her bed and she turned. His head was bowed and his arms rested on his knees. Damn. And this night had started out so good, too. 

April stood there, considering her options. She _could_ say goodnight and hint that it was Donnie’s time to go. But she really didn’t want to. And he didn’t have to offer to escort her home. He’d wanted to come back here. 

Maybe to continue what they’d started? Did a fight with the guys count as a third date? 

Eh, screw it. “Donnie?” She kept her voice soft. 

He looked up. “Hmm?” 

“I’m going to take a shower. Would you… would you like to join me?” She inexplicably felt a rush of heat through her cheeks—it was kind of a bold approach, she honestly didn’t know how he’d react. 

She watched him carefully as he blinked and his eyes widened slightly. 

“Uh, uh,” he stammered, his fingers digging into the bedspread on either side of him. “Yeah. Ok.” 

“You don’t have to.” 

“No, I… that sounds really nice, actually,” he said as he stood up. 

April smiled gently. “Ok then.” She turned and walked through to her small bathroom and turned the water on, giving it a minute to warm up. 

She could sense Donnie hovering in the doorway, but she didn’t turn to look as she pulled her hair out of its ponytail and ran her fingers through it, loosening any knots. Her sweater came off next, followed by her jeans. 

She heard an unfamiliar sound behind her and looked back over her shoulder to see Donnie loosening his knee pads and letting them drop to the floor, his eyes on her the entire time, obviously keen on not missing a single step. She smiled again and unhooked her bra, throwing it into the hamper on top of her other clothes.

Her heart was pounding now, as much as she tried to tell herself she was being silly—Donnie had technically seen it all on Christmas Eve—it was no use. After a moment’s hesitation, she hooked her fingers into her undies and slid them down her legs before kicking them into the hamper as well. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and noted she was now sporting a blush that ran halfway down her chest, and she nervously looked back at Donnie. 

He’d clearly been in the process of undoing his elbow pads, but was currently frozen in place with his eyes on her ass. 

“Come on, Don,” she laughed nervously over her shoulder. “It’s nothing you haven’t seen before.”

Donnie blinked and continued removing his elbow pad. “Well yeah, but… that doesn’t make it any less affecting. You’re… you’re gorgeous, April.”

April bit her lip, failing to contain the wide grin spreading across her face. She nodded toward the shower. “I’m going to get in. Join me when you're ready?” 

Donnie, who had plopped down to start undoing his foot wrappings, nodded silently, his eyes still hungrily drinking her in. She turned and stepped through the curtain into the warm spray. It felt wonderful and soothing on her skin and she stood still for a moment, just letting the water sluice over her. Thirty seconds later, she heard the curtain being pulled back and felt Donnie’s presence behind her. 

“April?” His voice was quiet and she could sense that he was nervous. For a second she was unsure what to do. Turn around and throw herself on him? Might be overwhelming and the last thing she wanted was Donnie fritzing out in the shower. Her second idea was better—Donnie was a task-oriented guy and this would help ease him in. _Yeah, and then_ he _can ease in_ , she heard a voice in her head that sounded too much like Casey Jones. 

She looked back at him. “Do you want to wash me?”

Donnie sucked in a breath and nodded. “Yeah.” 

“Ok.” She grabbed her loofah and a bottle of soap and handed it over her shoulder to him and smiled encouragingly at him. 

A moment later she felt him press the loofah to the skin of her back, at the top of her left shoulder before running it down, down, down until it sliding it over her rear. The gentle scratch of the sponge felt good as it scrubbed her clean and she let out a little hum in appreciation as she felt Donnie repeat the path, now starting at her right shoulder. 

“That feels so good, D,” she purred. 

“Yeah? Good… I want it to, to feel good for you,” he muttered before planting a kiss on her shoulder. She leaned back against him, losing herself in the comforting familiar scents of Donnie and her grapefruit body wash. 

He slowly wrapped his arm around her, splaying his fingers over her stomach, their tips barely grazing against the bottoms of her breasts. “April,” he whispered, and guided her to turn in place for him. 

She watched as he took all of her in before running the loofah over each breast and across her belly. He reached out and followed the soapy trails he’d made with his hand, the pads of his fingers lingering on her nipples. She moaned—this was all incredibly hot and if she’d been wearing any panties she suspected they’d be soaked by now. 

As she was about to pull him in for a kiss, he surprised her by squatting down in front of her and continuing to alternatively clean and stroke her legs. His fingers ran up her thighs, stopping a few frustrating inches from her core. When he spoke, his voice sounded hoarse and needy. “Can I… I really wanna taste you,” he looked up at her. 

Well ok then. She was hardly going to say no to that. April nodded quickly and parted her legs as best she could in the narrow space. She watched as Donnie’s finger disappeared between her legs, then gasped as she felt him stroking along her slit. 

“You’re, uh, pretty wet. Is that just the shower or…?” He looked up at her again and she nearly drowned in the hope in his eyes. 

She shook her head. “No, it’s definitely you-uuuoh!” Before she could finish her sentence, Donnie’s fingers found her clit and began rubbing little circles around it. April grabbed onto the shower’s safety rail with one hand and top of Donnie’s carapace with her other. Good thing too, because a second later, he’d pressed his face between her legs and his tongue had taken his finger’s place. 

April focused on keeping herself upright as he lapped at her, sending warm ripples of pleasure through her and making the most indecent, delicious sounds she’d ever heard come out of his mouth. The little appreciative grunts and moans reminded her of the noises she made when she ate her favorite kind of desserts and the idea that her pussy was Donnie’s equivalent of a chocolate cake sent a renewed bolt of lust through her. 

“Fuuuuck, Donnieee…” she moaned and he pressed his face further into her, his tongue making movements she swore would be lewd if this wasn’t so fucking hot. She could feel herself getting close and it wasn’t long before she abandoned all pretense and had started grinding herself against his face, rubbing her clit into his beak as he tongued her opening. He seemed more than ok with being used this way—he moved his head with her, helping her chase her release while his hands gripped at her ass. 

“April…” he moaned against her pussy and the longing in his voice pushed her over the edge. She shook as she came with a cry, her hands gripping hard on the safety rail and the upper lip of Donnie’s shell. She panted as she came back down, and she was vaguely aware of Donnie pulling his face out of her crotch and standing back up. He wordlessly turned his face toward the shower spray and ran a hand over his mouth, washing himself off. Washing her off, really. 

“Holy… holy cow,” she breathed. They’d been pretty sloppy and uncoordinated on Christmas Eve, and although Donnie had fingered her until she came that night, he hadn’t busted out this previously unheard of skill. Well, better late than never, she supposed. 

“Was that good?” He was looking down at her hopefully and she wasn’t able to stop the laugh that bubbled out of her. 

“Good? Jesus, where have you been hiding all that, D?” she laughed. “That was like, seriously hot. Where did you learn how to do that?” 

Donnie blushed and chuckled. “Oh, you know me. I pick things up here and there. I may have done some research.” He shrugged. “You know, I do _not_ get these guys who sound so befuddled by female anatomy. It’s pretty easy to figure out. It’s all a question of knowing where the right nerve endings are.” 

April raised a brow. “Sure, sure,” she nodded. “And you’ve never felt _befuddled_ by my body?” 

He ducked his head. “Overwhelmed, maybe. In awe of, definitely. But befuddled? Never.” 

“Hmm. Well, I dare say I’m pretty clean. How about you?” April said as she ran a hand down his plastron. 

It was slippery to the touch and Donnie didn’t stop her as her hand continued down until she brushed against something solid, warm, and slippery in a way that indicated it wasn’t just coated in water. 

April looked down. There he was, all of him. He must have dropped down while he was going down on her. She felt a thrum of something go through her as she processed the fact that eating her out had turned him on to this degree.

She moved a hand toward it, but hesitated and looked back up at Donnie. “Is it ok if I…?” 

His lips formed a thin line, making his face look anxious, but he nodded and she wrapped her hand around him. He felt heavy and thick in her grasp and for a second all she could think about was straddling him and sitting down hard on his cock, taking all of it in at once. She gave him a single, slow pump from head to root and back again. Donnie shuddered and planted his hand on the shower wall with such force she worried for a second he might put a crack in the fiberglass. 

Steadying herself with a hand on the lip of his plastron, April rose up and began kissing and sucking at his neck while she stroked his cock. Slow, long strokes, wanting Donnie to be able to enjoy it without feeling rushed. His natural lubrication made it easy work and it wasn’t long before her hand sped up, egged on by the way his hips thrust ever so slightly. 

“Hnnngh, ah, April,” he groaned as she tightened her grip. “Oh… oh god…” His eyes were shut, his mouth slack and he looked like he was in utter bliss. He was so sexy and he had no clue, she thought to herself. He’d never believe her if she told him. Still, it was worth a try. 

“You look so hot right now,” she breathed, continuing to stroke him. “Mmm D, I know we said we would wait but… if there’s any chance you want—“

Donnie’s hand shot out and grabbed hers, stopping her movements. He opened his eyes and looked down at her. “Yeah… I want to. So… heh, you’d better stop. Or else I’m gonna need a few minutes.”

April grinned. “Ok then,” she said sweetly, and turned the water off. She pushed the curtain back and stepped out of the tub, then grabbed a towel for herself and one for Donnie. She dried herself hastily, but even then she was only about halfway through when her world tilted as Donnie suddenly swept her up in his arms as if she weighed nothing. 

He carried her to her bed and laid her down gently. “Sorry, I couldn’t wait… you were, heh, kind of driving me crazy in there.” He gave her a goofy little grin and April felt herself dissolving into a little pile of goo. She grabbed his neck and pulled him down for a kiss, feeling her mattress sink as he crawled on top of her. 

He bucked his hips as they kissed, grinding his erection over her slit, but not yet entering her, and April groaned into his mouth. “Fuck, Donnie,” she gasped. 

“Are you ready?” he muttered as he pulled back a little.

April put a hand on his plastron, stilling him. “Hang on… I want this time… let me on top?”

It was as if it took him a second to compute her request, but then he nodded and flipped off of her and onto his back. She followed him, slinging a leg over his hips and putting both hands on his plastron. 

“Are _you_ ready?” she joked. Donnie eagerly nodded, his hands awkwardly flexing into her comforter as if he wasn’t sure what to do with them in this position. She wasn’t worried—he was a quick study, after all. 

April reached down and, grasping his thick length, lined him up before sinking slowly down. She watched his face carefully as she lowered herself until he was buried to the hilt. From the second he was even an inch inside her, his mouth had gaped open and his breath had been coming in little huffs as he fought to control himself. His hands finally found their rightful place on her hips, and she sat still for a moment, savoring the _intense_ full sensation that came with having Donnie completely inside her. 

Slowly, she began to move, picking herself up until he was about halfway out of her, then lowering herself back down. “God, I’ve been thinking about this… all week,” she groaned. 

“That makes… two of us,” he strained out. His fingers got tight on her hips, as if he were hanging onto her for dear life as she rode him. “Oh god, April… it’s… you feel… so good,” he panted. 

She moaned in response, slamming her hips back down a few more times before shifting her angle forward to grind her clit against him on each stroke. The room was silent for a few moments, save for the fantastically x-rated noises their bodies made as they moved together. 

It was about then that April realized she was done. Taken. Off the market for good. She’d heard the jokes before about men who ruined other men for women—usually due some spectacular skills in bed. And while what was currently happening between her legs was no fucking joke, there was more to it than that. How could she ever go back to dating other guys when she had _Donnie_? 

It wasn’t long before she could feel herself winding up. Her movements became more erratic as she frantically searched for more friction. “Nngah—I’m close… Donnie…” 

He slid his hands up her sides until he was cupping her breasts. They bounced against his palms like a makeshift bra as she fucked him harder, still so unbearably close. 

“Come on, sweetheart… come for me,” he groaned. “I wanna feel you… coming around me.” He began thrusting up into her, filling her completely. It was enough to push her over the edge—April let out a sharp cry as she came, arching her back and pushing her breasts against Donnie’s hands. 

Her movements gradually slowed along with her heartbeat. Donnie’s hips were still moving beneath her, but she could tell he was restraining himself. He sat up a little and pulled her in for a kiss. 

“God… that was… you’re unbelievably sexy,” he muttered as he laid back down. 

“Mmmm. Well, you feel really good inside of me,” she responded, rolling her hips a little. 

“Fuuuuck,” he gasped, and yep, there it was again. Kink confirmed: Donnie cursing while they made out or had sex was officially A Thing for her. 

He wrapped his arms around her, forcing her to bend over until her front was flush against his, and began to fuck up into her harder and faster than before. His upward thrusts jostled her and she let out a high-pitch moan as he pounded into her over and over again. She was already beginning to feel sensitive, but she rode it out, wanting to see Donnie’s face when he came inside her. 

It didn’t take long. A few hard, deep thrusts later, he slammed into her one last time and held himself there as he let out a deep groan. April gave him a few seconds before she peeled herself off of him with a hiss as his cock slipped from her. 

She breathed out as she fell to the bed beside him. “Ho-ly...”

“Chalupa,” he finished for her, sounding equally as winded. He turned and grinned at her. “Am I crazy or was that even better than the first time?” 

“No. Not crazy. But it tends to go that way,” she said, still panting a little. “Kinda makes you excited for that third time. And fourth. And fifth. And six—“

She was silenced by Donnie playfully tossing one of her throw pillows at her. “I am not a machine, woman,” he deadpanned, making her laugh, then got a faraway look in his eyes. “But speaking of… maybe…” 

He drifted off and April suddenly saw in her mind a line of very _personal_ machines Donnie had built for her, each one riding the line between looking like it could be a lot of fun and being borderline terrifying. She scooted toward him and put her arm across his front. 

“I don’t want any machines. I just want you.”

He smiled with his entire face, gap on full display, and she melted a little. “I just want you too.” 

* * *

It was 10:50 on New Year’s Eve and April wasn’t drunk. Buzzed, maybe. Pleasantly tipsy, more like.

It was hard not to compare the party to Christmas Eve. Their gang definitely had its own established party rituals and patterns by now. The beeramid was going strong, Raph was by far the most toasted, and Mikey was itching to go topside. 

But a new pattern was starting to emerge: April was once again on Donnie’s lap. The only difference was she didn’t have to be drunk to be there. Neither did he. Over the past day and a half, they’d had plenty of opportunities to get _real_ comfy with each other and both were in agreement that it was long overdue. 

Thirty minutes later, Mikey announced it was definitely time to go topside and watch the ball drop, and everyone agreed. Everyone, that is, except April and Donnie, who announced they would be staying in. No one gave them a hard time this time. It seemed to be an unspoken certainty that they would probably be having a good time on their own. 

Donnie turned to her as his brothers and Casey disappeared through the turnstiles and without warning scooped her up. 

April squeaked as she wrapped her arms and legs around him, but she was quickly silenced by Donnie’s lips on hers. 

“This seems weirdly familiar,” she joked when he pulled away. 

“Yeah, getting a real sense of deja vu here,” he teased back, nuzzling her neck. “Do you want… maybe, to continue this reenactment? In my room?” 

April grinned and played with the tails of his mask. “Yes please.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Donnie is good at sex stuff guys. It’s all just biology, after all. 
> 
> Thank you as usual for all the love, kudos, and comments. You guys are the best!   
> 💜WB


End file.
